December  2,  189i. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
521 
Weather  in  London.  —  There  was  a  very  sharp  frost  during 
the  early  hours  of  Friday  morning,  and  it  continued  cold  throughout  the 
day.  In  the  evening,  however,  rain  commenced  to  fall,  and  continued  at 
intervals  through  the  night  and  over  Saturday,  Sunday  morning  being 
also  wet.  During  the  evening  of  the  latter  day  the  wind  gained  strength, 
and  blew  strongly  until  Monday  evening,  when  a  little  rain  fell.  It  was 
cold,  and  the  streets  and  gardens  were  quickly  dried.  There  was  rain 
again  on  Tuesday  evening,  but  not  for  a  very  long  time.  Wednesday 
was  fine. 
-  Weather  in  the  North. — The  last  two  weeks  of  November 
have  been  very  dull,  with  a  brightish  day  now  and  again  and  an  occasional 
approach  to  frost.  Saturday,  27th,  was  a  good  coldish  day,  but  a  storm 
of  wind  and  rain  began  in  the  evening  and  continued  throughout  Sunday. 
The  hills  all  round  were  covered  with  snow,  and  in  the  evening  pelting 
sleety  showers  were  almost  continuous.  Monday,  again,  was  calm  and 
clear,  but  the  night  was  wet,  and  Tuesday  morning  drizzly,  liut  later  it 
promised  to  become  more  settled  but  cold.  — B.  D,.  A  Perthshire. 
-  Unseasonable  Flowers. — This  abnormal  season  will  long  be 
remembered  by  the  various  freaks  which  Nature  has  assumed  during  the 
last  two  months.  Here  we  have  spring  flowers,  including  the  wild 
Frimrose,  Strawberry,  and  a  sprinkling  of  Apple  bloom  fully  expanded, 
with  Dahlias,  Michaelmas  Daisies,  and  other  autumn  flowering  plants. 
Such  an  anomaly  is  seldom  witnessed  to  the  extent  it  is  at  present.  But 
the  most  remarkable  is  a  Honeysuckle,  trained  to  a  cottage  wall  in  this 
parish.  It  has  a  crop  containing  both  ripe  and  unripe  fruit,  and  is  now 
in  bloom  with  two  crops  of  leaves,  the  matured  ones  of  summer,  and  a 
fresh  crop  of  pale  young  leaves  and  growth  ;  such  a  state  of  affairs  is 
rarely  seen  at  this  date,  23rd  November. — .1.  Faster,  Nostell  Priory. 
- Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine. — The  magnificent  group  of 
this  plant  shown  at  the  Edinburgh  Chrysanthemum  Show  by  Mr.  H.  J. 
Jones  of  Ryecroft  Nursery,  Lewisham,  was  much  admired  by  visitors, 
and  will  doubtless  lead  many  of  our  Scottish  friends  to  grow  it  themselves. 
I  find  it  one  of  the  best  colours  for  use  under  artificial  light,  and  it  is 
therefore  one  of  the  very  best  table  plants  we  have  for  this  dull  season  of 
the  year,  especially  when  there  is  a  quantity  of  silver  ornaments  on  the 
table.  But  I  imagine  it  is  open  to  the  same  objection  as  other  Begonias 
if  left  for  many  hours  in  the  rooms— viz.,  dropping  of  the  flowers.  An 
intermediate  temperature  appears  to  lie  necessary  for  it,  and  it  is  not  so 
free  growing  as  many  of  the  fibrous-rooted  Begonias.— W.  H.  Divers. 
-  Mr.  Astor’s  Kound  Table. — Large  as  may  be  this  wonderful 
slab  of  Redwood  Mr.  Astor  has  imported  here  from  California,  I  should 
hardly  care  to  be  one  of  the  forty  guests  destined  to  sit  round  it  when 
fashioned  into  a  table,  even  were  the  feast  spread  to  be  a  vegetarian  one. 
For  if  the  diameter  be  16  feet  6  inches,  the  entire  circumference  as  it  is 
would  be  but  49  feet  6  inches,  and  that  would  allow  elbow  room  for  each 
guest  of  but  11^  inches.  I  do  not  think  there  are  many  persons 
who  would  care  to  be  so  compressed  before  dining,  much  less  after¬ 
wards.  But  if  this  millionaire  will  cut  out  8  feet  from  the  centre  of  the 
slab,  leaving  a  table  all  round  4  feet  broad,  he  could  then  sit  twelve 
guests  in  the  circle  at  24  inches  apart,  and  in  that  way  would  find  pretty 
ample  room  for  the  other  twenty-eight  on  the  outside.  However,  all 
this  would,  after  all,  have  little  connection  with- horticulture. — A. 
-  A  Treatise  on  Fern  Growing.— We  have  received  a  small 
treatise  thus  entitled,  written  by  Mr.  John  Bowlby,  published  by  Messrs. 
Whitehead  Bros.,  Wolverhampton.  The  writer  is  evidently  very  well 
acquainted  with  Ferns  and  their  cultivation,  and  he  gives  useful  practical 
information  ;  but  when  he  says,  “  Nearly  all  Ferns  are  gifted  with  male 
and  female  fronds,  without  which  the  spores  would  not  come  to  fructi¬ 
fication,”  he  lets  us  know  that  he  has  still  something  to  learn.  It  is  also 
a  pity  that  he  did  not  employ  someone  to  correct  the  proofs  of  his  treatise, 
and  prevent  at  least  150  blunders  in  less  than  forty  small  pages.  The 
treatise  is  written  to  be  of  service,  as  it  may  be,  to  the  inexperienced — 
the  very  class  who  need  education  in  correct  nomenclature.  Apart  from 
the  abounding  inaccuracies  in  the  representation  of  the  names  of  Ferns, 
we  find  Saxifraga  “  Sacrementosa,”  a  name  which  surely  cannot  be  found 
Olsewh^'re  in  the  whole  vast  range  of  garden  literature. 
-  National  Dahlia  Society.  —  We  are  informed  that  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  National  Dahlia  Society  has  been  arranged  for 
Tuesday,  December  14th,  at  2  P.M.,  in  the  rooms  of  the  Horticultural  Club 
at  the  Hotel  Windsor. 
-  Royal  Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund.— We  are  pleased  to 
notify  that  Mr.  P.  C.  M.  Veitch  of  The  Nurseries,  Exeter,  has  consented 
to  preside  at  the  annual  friendly  dinner  of  the  Committee  of  the  Royal 
Gardeners’  Orphan  Fund  at  Anderton’s  Hotel,  on  February  I8th,  1898. 
-  “  Kew  Bulletin.” — A  number  of  this  useful  publication  has 
recently  been  issued  which  embodies  a  list  of  the  staffs  in  botanical 
departments  at  home,  and  in  India  and  the  colonies.  If  evidence  were 
wanting  as  to  the  estimation  in  which  Kew  is  held  in  distant  lands  it 
could  be  found  in  this  book,  for  at  every  page  appear  marks  that 
denote  the  fact  of  some  officer  having  been  trained  at  Kew,  or  recom¬ 
mended  by  the  Kew  authorities.  There  are  about  125  names  given  as 
attached  to  colonial  and  Indian  stations,  of  whom  nearly  one-half  have 
been  at,  or  were  recommended  by  Kew. 
-  Vaccinium  corYmbosum. — Among  tbe  plants  which  assume 
brilliant  colouring  late  in  the  autumn,  says  an  American  contemporary, 
none  equals,  perhaps,  the  common  high-bush  Bluelierry,  Vaccinium 
corymbosum,  which  early  in  November  lights  up  many  northern  swamp 
borders  with  its  flaming  foliage.  The  value  of  this  Blueberry  as  a  garden 
plant  has  been  often  insisted  on,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  hardy 
shrubs.  Beautiful  in  early  spring  with  its  waxy-white  liell-shaped 
flowers,  beautiful  in  summer  with  its  bright  blue  fruit,  and  especially 
beautiful  now  after  the  leaves  have  turned.  It  is  a  tall  shrub,  and  in  good 
soil  soon  grows  into  a  shapely  specimen. 
—  Primula  obconica  versus  Primula  stellata.  —  Most 
gardeners,  like  myself,  who  have  to  provide  abundance  of  flowers  have 
found  the  old  Primula  obconica  very  useful  both  as  a  plant  for  vases  and 
likewise  for  utilisation  as  cut  flowers.  On  account  of  its  poisonous 
nature  I  was  obliged  to  throw  away  the  whole  stock  ;  after  which  I 
endeavoured  by  every  possible  means  to  find  a  substitute,  I  am  glad  to 
say  I  have  succeeded  by  growing  stellata.  I  consider  this  is  preferable  in 
every  way  to  P.  obconica.  First,  one  is  not  liable  to  eczema  ;  second,  it 
is  pure  white,  and  much  larger  ;  third,  it  has  longer  stalks  and  good  dark 
foliage.  AVhether  it  is  quite  as  free-flowering  I  cannot  yet  say,  as  this 
autumn  is  my  first  experience  with  it  ;  but,  of  course,  the  size  of 
P.  stellata  will  make  up  for  any  deficiency  in  quantities  compared  with 
obconica. — A.  J.  L. 
-  Campanula  iosphylla  alba.— The  account  given  by  the 
raiser  of  this  plant  (Mr.  R.  Irwin  Lynch,  page  501)  is  very  interesting. 
The  plant  when  in  flower  is  admired  by  everyone  who  sees  it,  and  few 
things  equal  it  for  draping  the  front  of  conservatory  stages  and  similar 
purposes.  It  has  also  achieved  great  fame  in  this  neighbourhood  as  a 
window  plant  for  cottagers,  and  some  very  fine  specimens  are  occasionally 
met  with  in  this  way.  Sometimes  the  blue  form  is  seen  by  its  side,  though 
generally  the  white  variety  is  preferred.  Mr.  Lynch  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  having  raised  such  a  useful  and  beautiful  plant.  I  have  not  yet  tested 
its  hardiness  outside,  but  possibly  it  will  survive  in  dry  sheltered  positions, 
and  no  doubt  it  bas  done  this  in  many  instances  in  the  southern  counties. 
It  is  easily  propagated  by  division  in  the  spring,  and  the  plants  grow  to  a 
useful  size  the  same  season,  but  as  a  hanging  plant  for  windows  or 
conservatories  the  large  specimens  are  best. — W.  H.  Divers,  Belvoir 
Castle  Gardens,  Grantham. 
-  The  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement  Society. 
—A  meeting  of  the  above  Society  was  held  on  Tuesday,  November  23rd, 
when  Mr.  Wilkinson  of  Claughton  read  a  very  interesting  paper  entitled 
‘‘  Serving  the  Kitchen.”  The  essayist  stated  that  he  had  tried  to  bring 
before  tbe  members  a  few  hints  on  one  of  the  gardener’s  duties,  and  one 
which  no  gardener  could  afford  to  lightly  pass  over.  He  referred  to  the 
most  suitable  size  of  vegetables  necessary  for  the  dining-room  ;  the  best 
method  of  preserving  them,  if  the  supply  were  larger  than  the  demand  ; 
and  also  the  most  suitable  appliances  used  for  the  purpose  of  gathering 
them.  He  further  mentioned  that  one  cause  of  friction  between  the  cook 
and  the  gardener  was  taking  vegetables,  such  as  Peas  and  Beans,  into  the 
kitchen  when  too  old.  Reference  was  also  made  to  the  advantages  derived 
by  young  men,  when  commencing  their  gardening  career,  by  serving  the 
kitchen  garden,  as  it  gave  them  an  insight,  both  of  the  quantity  and 
quality,  of  the  vegetables  they  would  be  called  upon  to  supply  later  in 
life.  There  was  a  good  attendance  of  members,  and  a  pleasant  discussion 
followed  the  essay.  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  essayist  and  Chairman 
terminated  the  meeting. — G.  W.  G. 
